A gastrostomy tube is a short, thin tube which is inserted in the abdomen of an animal and which extends from the exterior of the animal's body through the skin, through the stomach wall, and into the interior of the stomach. The gastrostomy tube is used as a passageway to the stomach to provide nutrients or medication directly to the stomach of an animal which cannot or will not eat.
The conventional method of installing gastrostomy tubes is to make a small incision in the animal's skin and push a needle and a surrounding sheath through the skin and stomach wall of the animal. A fiber is then fed through the needle and into the stomach of the animal. An endoscope is placed in the animal's stomach through the mouth and esophagus and is used to visually determine whether the fiber has passed into the stomach and where in the stomach it is located. A four-pronged snare extends similarly into the stomach of the animal, and is used to pull one end of the fiber out of the animal's body to be accessible at the mouth. A gastrostomy tube is then attached to the mouth end of the fiber and pulled into the stomach and then through the incision and needle hole.
One problem with the conventional method is that not all surgeons desiring to perform this operation possess all the proper equipment, such as an endoscope, which is necessary to view the location of the fiber within the stomach. Another problem is the difficulty of locating and grasping the fiber in the stomach.
Therefore, the need exists for a device which increases the ease and simplicity of the installation of gastrostomy tubes, and provides a less expensive and therefore more available way of installing a gastrostomy tube.